Category - former Soviet

Kyrgyzstan’s government has fallen, its provisional rulers are untested, and there is as yet no sign of a lasting political settlement, writes John Heathershaw. Yet that does not mean it will automatically follow the example of neighbour Tajikistan and descend into civil war. Peace is difficult but possible.

A coalition of church-based aid and development agencies is backing a creative range of self-help initiatives in the former Soviet Central Asian republics, such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which are often overlooked in the worldwide media.